Day by Day
by Jagged Hearts
Summary: Now that the battle with Ezekiel Stane is over, Tony and Silver are faced with new a trial—something far more terrifying than anything either of them have ever faced before; being in a functional relationship.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to the Marvel universe or the "Iron Man" movie series_

**D****ay by Day**

_Day 1_

Everything looked exactly the way she remembered it.

All of her belongings had been left as they were when she had departed for Tokyo several months before. Although she could tell that no one had meddled with her things, everything was clean and taken care of; there wasn't a speck of dust that dwelled on anything. It baffled her mind—the idea that someone had taken the time to make sure everything had remained spotless and in good shape during her absence.

"Tony did that." Stiffening, Silver slowly looked over her shoulder from in front of her bedroom desk, Bruce smiling kindly to her from her entryway. "He doesn't ever admit it, but he made sure to keep everything tidy for you." The blonde began to smile widely, her heart rising and feeling similar to a feather in a breeze; weightless.

"How are you?" Letting her smile relax, the assistant cleared her throat and shrugged, turning back to her desk and flipping through papers and folders she had left unattended.

"I'm feeling much better. This time to recover and rest has really helped a lot." Bruce nodded, remaining in the doorway and maintaining his boundaries; it was easy for him to see that she was feeling a bit out of her element.

"I'm glad to hear that. If you need anything, I'll be on the communal floor. Tony's out signing some paperwork to finalize the terms of the agreement with Fujikawa, so he'll be back in a few hours." Silver nodded, giving the radiation specialist a grateful smile.

"Thanks. I'm really capable of taking care of myself, though." She had hoped to sound assuring, yet she felt as though she sounded desperate. Bruce chuckled and nodded, turning to head back down the hallway.

"I completely believe you. But apparently Tony's become the worrying type." That made Silver sigh.

* * *

"You know, I made you CEO so _I _didn't have to do this." Tony sat with a pen in his hand while he flipped through forms and searched for highlighted lines to hazardously scribble his signature on. Pepper stood beside him and made sure to watch his actions closely in order to keep him from missing anything.

He had made sure Silver was mostly settled by the time he had left to meet Pepper. It had been a last-minute call from his CEO, and so he was quick to try and find someone to keep an eye on the healing woman in his absence. Although Steve was out on a mission for Fury, and Natasha and Clint were gone doing who knew what with who knew who, Tony was lucky enough to find Bruce in his lab; he had been brief and straight to the point with his favor.

"That's the last one. See? Was that so miserable?" Pepper smiled sweetly at Tony before she grabbed the contract from the table and slid it all into a manila folder. The former CEO scoffed before he stood to his feet and brushed off the nonexistent dust from his lap.

"On a scale of 1-to-10 of how much I didn't feel like doing this, I'd mark that as a clean 9." With a chortle, Pepper shook her head while tucking her belongings neatly into her briefcase. She stood up tall and let out a satisfied breath while Tony watched her with pride; he would never regret the decision to make her the leader of his company.

"How's Silver?" Tony immediately stuffed his hands into the pockets of his slacks, heading towards the door to the conference room with Pepper a step behind him.

"She's doing fine." And yet, there was a hint of doubt that tainted his words. Pepper had been surprised by that, especially since she had seen the two of them just a few days prior; her visit had been a cheerful one for everyone.

"What's wrong?" Tony glanced over at Pepper, the pair now walking side-by-side down the hallway. The brunet let his brown eyes wander around the corridor at the abstract pieces of art that hung on the walls and decorated the space. He could feel the worry wafting from his friend's body, but he was unsure of how to proceed with the conversation; the matter at hand had been something that he'd been thinking about for a few days, now.

"...I said that I was fine when I came back from Afghanistan and when I fell out of space." Pepper's gaze softened at the concern that was laced in each word Tony spoke. He tried to seem nonchalant and casual—tried to make himself appear as if everything was great and there was nothing to be worried about. But Virginia had known Tony for far too long and had seen a plethora of sides to the man; this was a big deal for him. "You _say _you're fine when you initially stand back up from falling, but then when you're back on your feet you start to feel your head spin and your body ache, you realize you're not fine. Not even close to it."

"And you're worried that Silver's not _actually _fine?" Tony didn't answer. "...Have you tried to talk to her about this?" Again, silence.

Pepper sighed, already seeing the train-wreck that was going to happen. Silver was independent. She enjoyed doing things on her own and being able to take care of herself and taking care of other people; she had done it for so long, it only came naturally to her. Tony never worried about much, but the things he worried about, he was invested in completely and entirely. He was going to fuss and worry over Silver without expressing why, and that would only lead her to feel suffocated and annoyed; this could end badly for both of them.

"You need to talk to her about this, Tony." Said man shrugged before he slipped his sunglasses back over his eyes and quickened his pace. An agitated expression appeared on the redhead's face as she watched her friend head for the exit, a lazy wave being thrown over his shoulder.

"You worry too much, Pep." That made the woman gap.

"Tony—"

"If you need me, leave a message with JARVIS!" And without a single glance back, Tony disappeared through the double doors.

* * *

It had taken her two hours to familiarize herself with all of her things and her clothes and her entire life that she had left behind. Bruce had stayed for a half-hour to keep the woman company before he returned to his lab to finish a little project he had been working on; Silver had been left with herself and her thoughts, alone.

It was a lot to take in. Strangely enough, at the time, being gone had felt like years. But now, as she sat on her couch and watched TV, it felt like it had only lasted days. This part—returning to normalcy and returning back home—felt long and dragged out. She was exhausted just from unpacking what little she had and returning to the tower, and it was confusing to her. Two months wasn't long to be gone. Two months on vacation felt like two days. Then again, she hadn't been on any kind of vacation or break; she'd been taken prisoner. She wasn't sure if she should be reacting as strongly as she was to the entire scenario. The Avengers had been through worse. So, then, this shouldn't have been as tiring as it felt to her. And yet, her mind was whirling, and she was tense and unsure of what to do with herself.

None of it made any sense.

"Porcelain?" Hearing the moniker and the familiar voice, Silver was instantly on her feet, looking back and waiting for Tony as he walked out of the elevator and glanced around the woman's floor. He pulled his shades off with utter grace in his every move, a brow raised when he noticed that the woman had left the TV channel on _Lifetime_. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt movie time, Grandma Silvia." A flash of irritation appeared across the woman's face, but it was quickly forgotten once she was standing in front of the man.

"How did things go?"

"I behaved myself, if that's what you're wondering."

"So I won't have to call and check-in with Pepper?" Rolling his eyes, Tony brushed past his assistant and sat where the woman had once been sitting, snatching up the remote and propping his leg up on the ottoman stationed right in front of him.

"You're off the clock, Livingston." Silver laughed before nodding.

Seating herself beside Tony, the blonde kept her eyes glued to the screen while her companion flipped through the channels. Although a comfortable silence formed between the two, Silver found herself fidgeting with her hands in her lap, her green eyes stealing glances to the man beside her.

She wasn't really sure how to proceed with Tony. Everything had happened so quickly, and she had said many things to him. Not to say that she regretted saying what she had said, but she wasn't sure how that was going to impact their life now. Was she going to actually stay his assistant? Were they dating? Were things supposed to suddenly be more intimate between them? And most of all, the thing that scared her the most, would she be able to chip down the wall she had built around herself and let him in?

"...It's ok, you know." Stiffening, Silver kept her eyes on the screen as Tony turned to look at her profile. He gazed intensely at her, his eyes piercing through the side of her face and causing her entire body to feel as though someone were pushing against her; she was terrified of the idea that he could read her mind.

"What's ok?"

"It's ok if you're _not_ ok." That had caught Silver off guard.

Breaking away from the flat-screen mounted on the wall, Silvia gave Tony a perplexed stare while her mind tried to piece together what he was trying to explain to her. Although she wanted to say that she understood what he was attempting to convey, her brain was drawing a blank and the confusion was evident in the way she gazed at the man—as if he were speaking a foreign language to her.

"Wait, what am I not ok with?" With a heavy and subtle sigh, Tony grimaced, having hoped that the conversation would be short and simple; as much as he cared for Silver, talking about feelings and being sentimental was not his strong suit.

"...It's a lot to go through—what you dealt with for those two months couldn't have been easy. Trust me, I would know." Immediately, Silver's heart sank while she gave the brunet a scowl.

"Tony. I already told you that—"

"It's not _fine_, Silver," the man argued fervently, giving his companion a vexed glance before he stood to his feet and walked a few paces towards the wall-length windows. "What happened to you wasn't fine, and it's fine that you're not fine."

"I understand that, Tony," the blonde insisted, giving him an offended stare. "Do you think I can't handle this?"

"I never said that." Without a doubt, the genius could already see where Silver was steering the conversation. Somehow, the point he had been trying to make had been completely skipped over, and now they were arguing about something else entirely; he wasn't sure what, exactly. "Don't try and make this an argument about that."

"But isn't it?" Silver let out a huff of laughter, disbelief gleaming in her eyes. "You might call me Porcelain, but I'm not actually _made _of porcelain."

"Wait, wait, wait. You tell me I don't worry enough, and now that I actually have something worth worrying about, you tell me _not _to worry?" Tony's disbelieving huff irked Silver while frustration was apparent by the stiffness in Tony's body and the way his arms were crossed over his arc reactor. Silver tried not to glare at him, knowing that he was coming from a good place. Yet she couldn't stop herself, turning on her heels and stomping towards her bedroom.

"Just because I'm not an Avenger doesn't mean I don't know how to take care of myself!" she barked bitterly before she paused at the entryway of the hall. "I survived for two months all on my own. And I don't recall you having to hold my hand through that!" She had regretted the blow she had given Tony the moment she had said it, his face immediately morphed and his expression twisted. The air around him completely shifted as his eyes darkened from her striking words. But she was too stubborn to take it back, and she had too much of her pride on the line to back down. So, she opted for hurrying down the hallway and seeking refuge in her room. All the while, fumes rose from Tony like smoke from a chimney as he glared after Silver, his jaw clenched shut and a peculiar sensation of anger bubbling inside of him; it was rare for him to be this angry with the woman.

"Unbelievable." Knowing there was no way he could mend the conversation, the struggling man headed towards the emergency exit and shoved the door open. He didn't look back once as he headed down the steps, needing to walk off the excess anger that was teeming inside of him.

Just has he had imagined, that conversation had not gone as he had planned it.

* * *

Hours had passed since her outburst with Tony. Within that time, Silver had paced her room so much she was sure she had stamped her footprints into the floor; it was the only way she could straighten out her thoughts. It helped her refocus and let out pent up energy she had building up inside of her. After she had tired her weary legs out, she took a seat on her mattress and glared at the wall for twenty minutes before her expression softened and the undeniable guilt she was trying to fend off consumed her; the reality of the argument and what she had said slowly started to dawn on her.

Even if she was still upset, herself, about the disagreement they had, her clear mind knew that her jab had been wrong. Tony had suffered more than she could have possibly known during her time away. And although she had suffered too, Tony had been supportive and present the moment he had found her. He shocked her with his attentiveness and his patience. And he had shown her that he was capable of taking care of her. And she had thrown it all in his face with those words she had spewed out so viciously.

"Silver?" Sitting up abruptly, said woman raised a brow at Bruce's hesitant and cautious voice. He peeked his head through her open door and let his eyes roam around the room before they landed on the person he had called out to.

"What's up, Bruce?" Fully striding into the room, the scientist smiled with his arms crossed in front of him and his back hunched. The blonde could easily tell that he was uncomfortable, yet he was forcing himself to check on her—she guessed that he had figured out something had happened between her and Tony; she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

"Have you eaten yet? I was about to make some dinner."

"You learned how to cook while I was gone?" The joke was received well, Bruce letting out a low laugh with a wide smile across his lips.

"Actually, I did learn a few things. But just to be clear, Steve made dinner two nights ago and there are leftovers I was going to heat up." Silver grinned at that, her mouth watering at the memory of the super soldier's meals. A yearning gleam shined in the woman's eyes before she vigorously nodded her head.

"I'm in."

"Alright. I'll go ahead and get plates set up." Turning to walk out of the room, Bruce let his shoulders relax and his arms fall to his side. He paused as he reached the door frame and frowned at a thought which had crossed his mind. Apprehensively, he looked over his shoulder back at Silver as she headed towards the bathroom that was attached to her bedroom.

"...Silver?"

"Hmm?" She waited a few steps away from her bathroom and watched as a string of emotions unraveled around the Avenger. He let his jaw hang open for just a second, and then he spoke with a sudden wisdom in every word, no longer allowing the awkwardness or the uncertainty to lead him on.

"Tony—he's always admired you. From the very beginning, he's always thought you were pretty special." Silver's expression instantly fell, her eyes wide like saucers and her mouth slightly ajar. "He's never said anything specifically—if you're wondering. I can just tell by the way he looks at you. It's like...He looks at you like you're the best thing that's ever happened to him. And I don't mean to say that it was love at first sight. We both know that would be a lie." He was glad to see a small smile spread on the woman's face.

"Bruce, you don't—"

"What I mean is, even though the two of you started off on the completely wrong foot, I think he pushed you so far and so hard because he knew you could take it. He knew that you could prove him wrong...He knew you were strong." The radiation specialist spoke gently over his companion, giving her a kind and understanding nod. "I just wanted you to know that." Silver was speechless.

"I'll go ahead and get a plate for you." And with that, the man was gone; Silver was left with nothing but the silence and her thoughts.

* * *

"Sir, it's been three hours since you last spoke with Ms. Silvia. Shall I—"

"I didn't ask you to be a mediator, JARVIS. I asked you to tell me the time." Tony's tone was anything but amused.

"I just thought you'd like to know." That made the genius grumble to himself.

He couldn't stop thinking about their quarrel. What he had thought had been harmless—and what should have been appreciated—turned out to be messier than he had pictured it to be. And even with working in the lab, his concentration remained on his project for only a few minutes before the woman's words and her offended expression came rushing back from the far ends of his memory. He had assumed that working on his newest suit would suffice and calm him down, but he couldn't seem to fully attend to the task at hand. He continued faltering and misplacing tools—he was adding incorrect parts to incorrect places; he was actually causing himself more trouble than relief.

With a deep breath, the genius pushed himself away from the computer monitor he had been gazing so intently at, letting the wheelie chair drag him aimlessly. His head hung back against the back of his seat, his legs stretched limply out. There was also a temporary scowl etched on to his face, the muscles almost sore from the length of time he had been holding the expression for; he was too immersed in his irritation to care.

"...Is this what it feels like to _actually_ care about someone?" Tony's mutter was answered by JARVIS' thoughtful answer.

"I wouldn't _personally _know, but judging from your measured heart rate and the rise in temperature of your body, as well as the emotional symptoms of worry, anguish and concern you've displayed, I believe that one could argue that you may—very well—be experiencing the feeling of caring for another person." With an exasperated sigh, Tony sat up and glared at the disembodied voice.

He'd cared for many people. His mother, for one. She'd been, arguably, the person he had cared for the most within his entire life; he just had a funny way of showing it. Then there was the obvious, James, who had been his best friend through thick and thin. Pepper—he'd never stop caring about her, ever. And now he had even more people to care about and love; his team was his family. Hell, Tony had cared about a lot of people—even the ones he shouldn't have cared for. But the way he felt about Silver? It almost hurt—how much he cared about her. He was positive that he'd never felt this way about someone in his entire life, and he was also positive he would never feel this way about anyone else, ever. And it was frustrating and mortifying, because he was Tony Stark, and he _never _cared this much about anyone. But he had surprised himself, and now he was reaping what he'd sown.

Still, although a part of him wanted to fall back on old habits and hide away in his lab for the rest of the day, there was a bigger part of him that had decided against that. Because it would be selfish. After all the time he spent apart from Silver, all the time he had put into getting her back, just so he could ignore her and avoid her? It was a waste. And in all honesty, he knew that it was wrong. Because, as much as she _insisted_ that she was fine and could take care of herself—which he knew she could—Tony also understood that there was a long and rocky path awaiting the woman. He had traveled down it not long ago after Afghanistan and after Obadiah and even after New York; sometimes, he still thought he was trudging down that dark road. And that was not something that he wanted Silver to overcome alone, because it would hurt her, and the last thing he wanted to see was Silver hurt.

He'd seen enough of that.

For the first time in—what felt like—Tony's entire life, the normally brash and stubborn man stood from his chair with his head held up. He tried not to grimace as a sense of discomfort washed over him while he headed for the elevator. He wasn't accustomed to swallowing his pride and giving in to another person. It rarely ever happened, if it ever happened at all. The man was out of his comfort zone, and even though it was partially terrifying, it was also liberating; this was all new to him, and he was almost excited for the new kind of challenge.

Waiting patiently in the elevator, the Avenger thought deeply about what he wanted to say. He contemplated what words would be best in order to avoid another argument, and he also brain-stormed an escape-plan for when things went south; he was going to be prepared this time.

As the doors to the elevator slid open, the brunet was surprised when he nearly walked into another body. He would have excused himself, but first off—he was Tony Stark, and people watched where they were going, not the other way around. And two, he had been startled when he saw that it was Silver who had nearly charged into him.

"Silver?"

"Tony!" Relief swam through said man's veins at the bright and chirpy way she said his name.

A relaxed smile came across the woman's face while she stepped back, allowing her guest room to step out on to her flat. "I was just about to look for you."

"Good timing. I wanted to talk to you about earlier." He could see a hint of shame and discomfort in the way Silver stood and looked at him, but she responded to him with a nod; it seemed they had been on the same page.

With a deep breath and a few seconds of silence, Tony prepared himself to apologize. He stiffened at his companion's sudden out burst, though, the blonde giving him a hesitant gaze while trying to shrug into herself and hide away—like she was a turtle seeking refuge in its shell.

"I'm sorry!" He was taken aback. He'd mentally prepared himself to say the same words Silver had blurted out. It had taken him twenty minutes to muster up the courage and motivation to give in, and yet there this infuriating woman stood, stepping all over his moment and stealing the exact words from his lips. He could tell that it had been spontaneous—the way her eyes shined and her hands seemed to tremble telling him so. And although he was slightly vexed that she had beat him to the punch, he also found himself appreciating the fact that she could just do something as simple as this without having to think so hard on it.

"You're sorry?" Silver gave him a curt nod, the baggage suddenly falling from her shoulders.

"What I said—it was out of line, Tony...I shouldn't have said that. So, I'm sorry." He was quick to take note of the way she had apologized for her choice of words, but not the fact that she—_he_ thought—overreacted about his concern for her.

"Well, turns out great minds do think alike." Tony smirked for just a split second. "I was coming to apologize, too." That made the woman blink.

"For what?"

"For making you feel like you couldn't deal with this on your own." Silver's gaze softened while Tony stared at her before averting his eyes to the world outside of the tower; her heavy look was beginning to pierce through his soul, and it was starting to burn. "I know you can take care of yourself. I'm the _last_ person you have to convince of that. If you couldn't, you wouldn't have made it a day being my assistant—not with the way I was trying to break you. So, I get it. I know just how much gumption you have—I know how much you can take...just didn't want you to have to deal with this on your own." The woman gave her boss a thrown look, unsure of how to reply to his honesty. Moments like that were hard for Silver because they were far and few, and it was rare to see Tony wave a white flag—not to say that it never happened; Tony could, surprisingly, be very humble and modest.

"...This entire time, I've been thinking about how things are supposed to be between us now... I've been wondering about our relationship and whether or not I'm good enough to be with you." Silvia watched Tony's reaction to her words carefully, his eyes meeting hers with a spark of astonishment in them after she spoke. "I feel like an outlier in your life, and I feel like I just don't make sense in the grand scheme that is you...I want to be able to prove to myself that I _can_ be apart of your life. I want to be your equal. But you fussing over me like this and worrying so much—it just makes me feel like I was right from the very beginning."

"You don't have a damn thing to prove to anyone—especially not me." Tony took a bold step forward, closing a generous amount of space that was between himself and Silver. He shook his head firmly, wanting to show her just how sure he was on this matter—how much this conversation meant to him.

"Livingston, do you have _any_ idea how long I've been thinking about this argument for?" Innocently, the blonde shook her head. "Too long. Longer than I normally think about these sort of things. And it has nothing to do with me thinking that you can't help yourself or me thinking you don't know how to take care of yourself. I just care about you. It's surprisingly as simple as that." Tony could feel the hairs on his body stand while he spoke—words that made him sound like an entirely different person spilling so fluidly out of him. Yet, he sounded exactly the way he imagined himself; nothing about the truth seemed off in his mind. "I care about you. So I worry about you. That's it. I'm allowed to do that, you know." That made the 30-year-old laugh.

"...I've never really been good at this—taking care of people and being nurturing. Definitely not a skill-set I can say I've mastered. But it doesn't mean I can't try. And it doesn't mean I won't do it for you." Silver felt a giddy smile begin to expand across her face, the lack of control she had over her own self showing just how much Tony's words seemed to have touched her heart; he gave a great speech when he wanted to.

At the end of the day, Silver knew he was being honest and genuine. He hadn't meant harm by fussing about her; she had merely taken it that way. Perhaps it was just the fact she was still recovering and emotional, or maybe it just came down to her mind allowing her to accept that being with Tony was alright—that she was good enough for him, and he was good enough for her; it didn't have to be as hard as she was making it.

"I'm sorry."

"You said that already," Tony pointed out lightheartedly, a cheeky smile appearing and the ice finally broken away between them. With another step, there was nothing but a hair of space left between the two, Silver gazing up at the brunet with an amused expression while he innocently gazed back down at her. The innocence began to morph, a more wily smile taking over. And as Tony continued to stare down at Silver, the woman's smile softened before she placed her hands gently on his chest. They remained steady against him and then fisted the soft material of his shirt, stretching and wrinkling it; the man didn't care.

"Did I say that I love you?" Tony feigned thoughtfulness, the pensive expression he wore making Silver want to burst into laughter; they both knew he wasn't wondering at all.

"Hmm...can't say for sure. Might wanna say it now, just to be sure." The wink he shot her was all he needed in order to make her grin.

"...I love you, Anthony." Without hesitating, Tony was leaning forward and claiming Silver's lips as his own. He began to devour her—tasting every sweet and bitter part of her mouth. His eyes were securely shut while he memorized the feeling of her skin against his and the way her body seared his as she leaned her hips into his and slid her hands up to the back of his neck. And as he found his tongue exploring her mouth and his mouth eagerly swallowing her moan of satisfaction, the woman's knees began to buckle and her posture started to crumble; her day had been long.

Forcing himself to pull away and ignore the way Silver's lips sought out his, Tony cleared his throat and his eyes fluttered open. He tried not to fall apart as he leered down at the woman's red lips and her glossy eyes. "You eat dinner yet?"

"Is that really what we want to worry about right now?" Letting out a low chuckle, the genius shook his head before he peeled his body away from Silver's. He tried not to groan from the lack of heat that now overwhelmed him, her hand in his making it that much harder for him to remain focused and resolute.

"Yes or no?" Finally, giving in to the fact that she and Tony would not be continuing, Silver answered his question; she tried not to sound as annoyed as she felt.

"Yes."

"Good. Weird to be on the other end of that question." The pair headed towards the couch, Tony plopping down and Silver doing the same beside him. With a single word to JARVIS, the TV screen flashed on and the lights dimmed. The darkening sky assisted with the relaxing ambiance of the room, green eyes suddenly feeling dry and tired while eye lids began to sag and grow heavier by the second.

She was quite content. The memory of Tony's lips against her made her heart flutter and her lazy smile widen. And even though she was staring at the television screen and watching as Steve Harvey walked across a stage and pointed towards two contestant behind a podium, her mind was buzzing with how suddenly happy she was in that moment and just how relieved she was to finally be back where she belonged. And even though there would be downs in her foreseeable future, there would be plenty of ups to even it all out; that, she was sure of. Just as long as she was able to keep her wits about her and to keep Tony's hands clasped in hers, Silver had no doubts that everything would turn out just fine.

She was fast asleep against Tony's shoulder in a matter of seconds.

* * *

_Heya, readers! _

_First, before I start with a spiel, for those who have found this story by chance and have no idea what's going on, this is a sequel to a story I've written called _"Metamorphosis". _I'm not one to boss anyone around, but I do recommend that you read that first if you're interested in continuing with this because you might not quite understand what is quite happening right now! _

_Second._

_After a few months of a break and taking some time to brainstorm and work on some other things, I've returned! With this sequel for_ "Metamorphosis" _that I am calling _"Day by Day_".__ This, as you may or may not have already guessed, essentially takes__ place right after the end of the first story. This story is going to be much fluffier and will be centered more on Silver and Tony's relationship. The first had much more of an "adventure" or "action" plot intertwined with the story of their relationship building. Now that we've come to this point for the two, I wanted to put more of an emphasis on just how things are going to go for them together. It's a bit of a "slice of life" and also with that usual hero-vibe that comes hand-in-hand with anything _Marvel_. _

_After watching all of the current _Marvel _movies (I could honestly just cry again thinking about "End Game"_) _I wanted to write something a little more lighthearted for Tony. I don't want to break into a rant about the movies, but he is such a wonderfully thought out character with so many layers, and I just think he deserves to see some happy days! So, this is almost my way of coping and doing that! _

_I will be posting some other stories, for anyone who is interested in reading about other Avengers! There is not set time of when I plan to post yet. As of right now I am toying with some Clint ideas and some Steve ideas. Mulling over a few ideas on some other characters, but those are the definitive two I will probably move forward with at this time...I've been thinking and talking about this forever, but I swear! It's happening! And they will be sort of like "sister" stories to _"Metamorphosis". _Essentially, the stories I post will take place in the same "universe" as this story and my first! _

_I hope to whoever decides to pick this up that you enjoy reading! I hope to update this and post frequently, but I can't say for sure when the next time I will be posting is. This time of year tends to get crazy (for everyone, I'm sure). I'm honestly shocked that I actually had the time to get something out today! Also proud of that hah! But I will be posting again hopefully sooner rather than later! Feel free to leave reviews or send messages with any preferences of who you want to read about next and or about any thing constructive you might have to say! _

_Thanks! Until next time! _

_~Jagged Hearts_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Marvel universe or "Iron Man" movie series_

_Day 9_

"Another one?"

"Looks like you have a fan base of your own."

"How is that possible? How do people even know that something happened to me?"

"Well, S.H.I.E.L.D. did a great job with keeping everything quiet until you were actually found. After that, they've just made sure to keep the paparazzi at bay and confidential information quiet."

Silver sat across from Steve at the bar of the communal floor. In her hands was a small box wrapped in shiny red and gold wrapping paper; most of the presents she had received over the last few days were wrapped similarly. Though she was grateful that so many acquaintances, and even complete strangers, had thought to send her get-well gifts, it puzzled the woman more. She hadn't realized that her disappearance or her rescue had made national news. And although, initially, her disappearance had been kept well under wraps, after the rather explosive and dramatic scene at the storage facility and Stark Industries, it was hard to keep much back from the media. None of the details had been shared nor discovered by reporters or journalists, but people were happy with just making up their own stories and rumors about what had happened; Tony and Silver didn't care much about what everyone had to say about it.

"What do you think this one is?" the blonde inquired curiously while the super soldier thought, staring intently at the gift for a moment before his eyes brightened.

"I'd say a pair of earrings." Silver eyed Steve suspiciously before she tore open her present; her eyes widened like saucers.

"How the hell did you guess that?! That's the fifth one you've gotten right!" In her hands was a pair of pearl earrings.

Before the Captain could reply, the elevator to the floor chimed out into the air, catching their attention. In traipsed Tony, his sunglasses sitting perfectly on the bridge of his nose while he whistled to himself. In one fluid motion, he pulled the shades from his brown eyes and raised a brow at the small pile of gifts that had manifested over the last several days. Immediately, Silver could see the signs of exasperation that the man tried not to display. A chortle fell from her lips as Steve smirked knowingly at his friend; Tony couldn't hide the scowl on his face.

"Didn't think to get her a gift, Tony?" Said man scoffed before he slid on to the stool beside Silver, swatting a few boxes away and out of his elbow space.

"Her gift is me not waking her up at five in the morning for shawarma."

"I thought we were past that stage in our life?" Silver lightly bumped into Tony's side with her shoulder in hopes to lighten his sour attitude. Her playful behavior had somewhat eased the irritation out of the man, but it was still ever apparent.

"Cap guess right again?"

"I don't know how the hell he does that!"

"Years of wrapping my own gifts for mah," he answered evenly with a shrug. Silver shook her head, unwilling to accept that answer as the truth. The pout on her face made Tony want to laugh and tease her, but instead, he sat quietly and merely smirked while the woman beside him narrowed her eyes at his teammate.

"I've wrapped plenty of presents for my own mother before, and I can't do that."

"Guess it's just another special ability, then." Glancing up at the digital clock that was embedded into the wall, the super soldier let out a huff of air through his nose before he smiled to Tony and Silver.

"Looks like it's time for me to head out."

"How long you away this time?" the genius queried while watching Steve head towards the elevator.

"Not sure. Ideally, no longer than a week. But you know how these things go." And then, without another word, Steve was stepping into the elevator and disappearing behind sliding doors.

The two sat in silence for only a second before Tony turned in his seat and gave Silver a pleased smile. Although anyone else would have interpreted the expression as a sign of overall content or happiness, the blonde was quick to notice the mischievous gleam in her boss' brown eyes.

"What?"

"What?"

"I know that look."

"There's no look."

"_Tony_."

"Maybe there's a _little _bit of a look."

"Alright, now you _have _to fess up."

"Pack some clothes." That made Silver blink with confusion.

"Wait, what for?"

"We're taking my jet in two hours, so start packing," the genius instructed before he hopped off his seat and headed towards the elevator. He didn't spare a glance back to his companion, the woman gazing after him with a perplexed expression.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Make sure you pack for at least a week. I don't want to hear you complain about not having enough to wear." Silver grumbled under her breath; she was not accustomed to playing reversed roles with her boss.

"What is this for?"

"Less talking, more packing." And then, with a cheeky smile, Tony sauntered into the elevator and let the doors slide shut after him. Silver remained at the bar, seated comfortably on her stool with a puzzled look upon her face. She tried to guess what the older man was thinking, but when it came to Tony, she could never _quite_ predict his next move. And so, she didn't bother trying to. Instead, she did as she was told, though she was still trying to adjust; this time of healing was a new kind of experience for her.

Taking her turn and hopping off of her seat, the woman headed towards the lift and waited for it to arrive. As she stood patiently, her eyes brightened momentarily and a small smile stretched across her lips. "JAR—"

"I'm afraid Master Stark has requested that I ignore all inquiries pertaining to your destination, Ms. Silvia."

"Of course, he did." She should have known.

With a defeated breath, the blonde entered the elevator before leaning back against the wall; all the while, she smiled to herself.

* * *

She'd been subtly pestering him about where they were headed the entire car ride to his airstrip. And even when they had boarded his jet, she continued to make guesses innocently, but Tony could see right through her. And although he wouldn't have minded telling her, he found their reversed positions rather entertaining; it was normally Silver who had this type of upper hand in most situations.

Thirty minutes into the flight, the blonde was fast asleep in her seat across from Tony. Although she was getting back on track with her health, her iron count was still lower than it was supposed to be, and it was causing her to feel fatigued and constantly exhausted. So, the genius wasn't surprised when she had drifted off into a light slumber. He merely let her have her peace and amused himself with his phone; it was fun to read texts from Thor in the Avengers group thread he had assembled.

As for Silver, her imagination ran wild in her dreams. None of it made any sense, but it didn't matter; by the time she woke up, she didn't remember a single thing about her dream. The moment her eyes fluttered open, she was greeted by the late afternoon sun. Her body was feeling refreshed, and she was no longer feeling as lethargic as she had been earlier that day. And when she had remembered that she was still clueless as to where she was, her adrenaline began to bubble once more.

"Sleeping Beauty, I've already got your things in the car. Let's go." Silver carefully stood to her feet, stretching and letting her muscles breathe for the first time in a few hours. Tony waited patiently for her at the exit of his plane, watching her for a moment before he looked out towards the car that was waiting for them. Strangely enough, he was a little anxious for Silver to figure out where they were going; he normally didn't plan things like this.

"Alright. I'm ready!" A smile spread across the woman's face as she stood beside Tony with a patient gleam in her gaze. He eyed her for a moment but said nothing, nodding for her to follow after him when he headed out of the jet and down the steps to the ground. He glanced back at his companion and tried not to seem obvious, Silver looking around before she blinked.

"Wait. Are we—"

"Come on, Porcelain. We can play 21 questions in the car." Silver tried to contain herself as she began to put the pieces of Tony's surprise together. She kept her comments to herself while she followed the man, but she couldn't control the giddy smile that was plastered on her face.

Tony didn't seem to mind it, either.

* * *

"I knew it!" Standing in front of the cottage, Silver grinned happily and her green eyes glistened with joy. There was a bounce in each of her steps as she scurried up the stairs to her friend's cottage and gleefully unlocked the door. Tony followed behind her at a more leisurely pace, trying not to look as pleased with himself as he felt; he was hoping she would have this sort of reaction upon his great reveal.

When the blonde waltzed into the cabin, her green eyes danced around the foyer, everything just as she remembered it being the day she and Tony had left; it felt like years had passed since that time. Flicking the light switch on, Silver let out a content breath while her companion approached her side and glanced around. He took note of the way dust had collected in their absence, but said nothing on the matter; he had decided that letting Silver have this moment was good enough for him.

"You planned this?"

"Obviously."

"And you planned this _willingly_?" Tony shrugged before he ventured further into the home and began to pull off the sheets from the furniture and make it more comfortable.

"Well, I did say we were taking a vacation, didn't I?" Silver's chuckle filled the air, Tony pausing and stealing a glance from her. He relaxed at her impressed expression and the jovial spark in her shining eyes, and whatever possible qualms he previously had about enduring a week without his knick-knacks and gadgets flew completely out of the window; seeing her with that smile would hold Tony over until they returned home.

"Looks like this place did grow on you." The genius scoffed, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing that it truly had.

"Don't get snarky with me. I could be sitting in a five-star hotel and soaking in a hot tub right now. _You're welcome_." Silver merely continued grinning before she busied herself with tidying up her friend's lake house. And after several minutes of dusting and sweeping, the woman stopped and pasted a pensive look on her features. Tony barely took notice of that, carrying in their luggage with ease and setting everything down by the stairs.

"Hey, Tony?"

"Hmm?" Looking up from his suitcase, the brunet watched as his companion smiled gently to him.

"Thank you." Yes, this was truly enough.

* * *

The brisk breeze whisked past Silver, but she paid it no attention with her thick flannel on and her seat pulled up close to a dancing fire. A smile had been permanently glued to her lips that entire day, and even when the sun set behind the horizon and the stars began to shine above her head, the smile never wavered.

"Here." Glancing up, the woman nodded appreciatively at Tony when he held out a glass of wine to her. After taking the stemless glass from the man, she watched as he plopped down in the seat beside her and enjoyed the bonfire he had created rather skillfully and easily; it still surprised Silver—just how savvy he was at anything he did.

"How many times have you ever camped?" Tony turned his head to the left in order to look properly at his companion, who gazed curiously back at him while she sipped her wine.

"Is that a trick question?"

"You've seriously never gone camping?" The billionaire shook his head after taking a gulp from his own drink.

"Who the hell camps _just_ to camp?"

"A lot of people!"

"Name five people you know who camp because they _actually like_ camping." The genius waited patiently for a few seconds, enjoying the flustered expression on his assistant's face while she tried to come up with names for his challenge; her silence was his answer. "That's what I thought."

"I like camping," she pointed out while Tony scoffed, unimpressed by her reply.

"You also enjoy watching the _Bachelor_." He had found his point amusing until he felt the woman beside him give him a sharp kick to his shin.

"Just remember who I caught watching it first." That made Tony narrow his eyes.

"I can still fire you—just so you're aware." Silver smirked, pleased with herself.

"You talk a big game, boss."

A comfortable silence soon settled over the pair as they listened to the crackle of the fire. Red and orange danced through the night, their shadows cast over the bushes and fallen leaves scattered around them. Every so often, a sudden "pop" from the flames made Silver tense, but she would soon relax and continue sitting peacefully in the moment. Tony was sure to make note of her reaction, but he made no action to address his concerns; the last thing he wanted to do was fight with her when he was trying to help her relax.

"My mom used to have photos of her and my dad when they were younger, and from the looks of it, they used to go on these sorts of trips all the time." Tony blinked, broken from his thoughts when Silver spoke and interrupted the flowing silence. He watched while she stared idly into the roaring flames, a distant gleam in her eyes while she recalled each of the photos she had found of her parents. "They were together for a long time. Since they were in high school. And during the summer, they would go on trips like this together for days, weekends..." It was hard for the genius to read the woman's expression; he wasn't sure if this was a safe topic or not.

"...You ever go camping with them?" Silver shook her head at Tony's question, her eyes lost in the fire raging on in front of her.

"The last thing they were thinking about was going on family trips by the time me and Weston came around. I'm sure it would've been miserable for all of us if we had tried." Nodding with an understanding expression, Tony finished off the last of his scotch before he reached down to the bottle he had brought out and poured himself more; although he preferred his drinks on the rocks, neat would suffice for the night.

"You ever regret not being able to go with them?" There was no hesitation in the way Silver shook her head, certainty ever present in her entire stature and expression.

"No. I think going with them would have ruined the experience for me. If we had ever gone camping or to a lake house or even on a road trip that lasted longer than an hour I don't think I'd be able to enjoy this very moment like I do now. And I'm pretty happy being here with you." Tony's face softened when Silver met his gaze, a wide smile stretched across her lips. They stared at one another for a minute, the silence dragging on around them. And when a burning log broke in half and shifted in the pit, they both quickly tore their gaze away from one another and began to attend to their separate needs; Tony to the fire and Silver to her down wine.

"You know..." The older man's voice caught Silver's attention as she popped the cork of the bottle Tony had brought her. She gazed curiously at her companion while he adjusted the logs with an iron rod before tossing another piece of wood into the pit to prevent the flames from dying. "...I wouldn't have given this kind of trip a second thought. Hell, I wouldn't have given it any sort of thought. This isn't my neck of the woods." Silver chuckled at the pun. "But, guess it worked out better that way."

"How so?" Tony took a seat back beside Silver, letting out a content breath.

"Well, coming here with you—what was it, three months ago? It was a decent first experience." The blonde began to smile widely as Tony shrugged, remaining relaxed and at ease. "What's the saying—things happen for a reason?" He wasn't one for proverbs or inspirational quotes, but there was always an exception every now and then.

And Silver couldn't agree more.

Because after all of the struggling and the fighting and the settling, the chaos and mess all seemed rather worth it; being able to sit beside Tony that night in that very moment made everything worth it.

"...Well, cheers to that then." Smirking, the Avenger nodded, the rim of his glass clinking with Silver's.

"Cheers, Porcelain."

* * *

By the time the fire had died and the bottles emptied themselves, it was well past midnight. And by the time Tony and Silver had finished off _drinking_ what had been in the bottles, it was well past two in the morning. Still, the laughter and the stories had been what drove them to remain up longer and fester in their buzz and drunkenness; Silver was definitely going to have a headache in the morning.

"Jesus, this is harder than I thought it'd be." Tony reached the top of the staircase with the blonde perched comfortably on his back, his vision blurred and his legs feeling a bit wobbly beneath him; he was past his prime of drinking and partying. Silver merely laughed, keeping her arms loosely wrapped around her carrier's neck while she swung her legs like a child.

"Don't be such a wimp! You've definitely carried things heavier than me before."

"Good point."

Steadily, the pair headed towards Silver's room, the man successfully kicking the door open without dropping his companion or slipping; he was impressed with himself. With two, large strides, Iron Man lightly tossed the woman to her bed, doing the same to himself and letting out a heavy sigh. He bounced twice against the mattress, the weight of his own body making Silver bounce one more time before she settled on the comforter and let out a low and content moan. Her head was swimming, and although laying on her back made the room spin faster, the warm hand clasping hers kept her grounded.

"...I think I might puke." Tony let out a laugh, his eyes squeezed shut and his hand holding Silver's hand a bit more tightly.

"Just as long as you do it in the other direction," he warned lightheartedly, though he had to admit—he was in just about the same shape as Silver.

"I can't make any promises."

"You puke on me, and I reserve the right to return the favor." Silver began to smile, shutting her eyes and giving the man's hand a squeeze.

"...You have no idea how much I appreciate you."

"I can take a guess."

"Don't ruin this for me."

"Do you _know _who you're talking to?"

Rolling on to her side, Silver gazed at Tony with half-lidded eyes, her cheeks rosy and her focus slightly hazier than it normally would be. "Seriously. I appreciate you." And though this was typical drunken behavior from her, Tony felt touched by the sincerity in her voice; or maybe he was just interpreting it that way from his own buzz.

It was hard to say when the world continued to rock beneath him.

"I know you don't like to admit it, but you're a thoughtful kind of guy."

"What can I say, I'm a jack of all trades."

"_Tony._" The brunet relaxed, his dazed, blood-shot eyes piercing through the woman for a moment before he let out a huff of defeat and nodded his head.

"C'mere." Sliding his arm underneath her neck, Tony pulled the blonde closer to his side and shut his eyes, the warmth of her body and the weight of her head resting on his shoulder bringing him comfort and pulling him closer towards the exhaustion he had been ignoring all day.

"...Turns out you make me that way. So, you really have yourself to thank." Silver let her eyes flutter shut, Tony's voice fading as she began to slip away into slumber. "Just make sure not to tell anyone else. I still have a reputation to uphold." The woman let out one last chuckle before she lazily nodded and succumbed to her needs; she was fast asleep in seconds.

Tony was only a few steps behind her, his breath slowly evening out and the weight of his body slipping away and easing out of his pores. And just before he let the sandman take him, one last thought fluttered across his mind.

This was exactly where he wanted to be, and he thanked everything and everyone that had gotten him there.

* * *

_Hi, again! _

_I'm back with another updated, which, this is super quick turnaround for me as of late! I'm super happy to get this ball rolling. It's just a bit more fun with more fluffier moments to write with! This story, as I've mentioned before, is really going to look at their relationship and just the ups and downs of what being together might be for them. Since a lot of the first story was really building up to this, I wanted to be able to give more to you guys, as readers! So far, it seems to be going well and you guys seem to be enjoying, so that's great to know and hear! If there's anything that I can work on, let me know! If you've read the first story, I'm sure you're well aware of how I like to try and keep everyone canon as in-character as possible. Granted, with the development from the previous story, I know my version of Tony is not exactly going to be the same as true Tony. But I think you guys know what I mean! _

_Thank you so much for giving this a shot! I hope you guys will continue read and like what I post as I update! There will be more fluff, a little angst, a little humor...still contemplating on whether or not I'll be putting on mature content in here...tbd! If anyone has a preference, feel free to let me know! _

_Thanks again! And to those who celebrated, hope you had a Merry Christmas! And hopefully you'll have a happy New Year! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters to the Marvel universe or the "Iron Man" movie series_

_Day 25_

He was in the middle of updating the software to his suits. He'd been in his lab for the last few hours, demanding that JARVIS ignore the friend who had insistently tried to come into his work station and talk with him; he was far from the mood to chat with anyone. Still, after an hour-and-a-half of persistence, the genius should've known that his friend would find his way in somehow.

"Tony?" Said man remained silent while he waited for JARVIS to finish downloading the system, the heavy footsteps of the air force member bouncing off the walls and reverberating through his entire body. "I've been trying to get a hold of you since yesterday." Tony finally tore his eyes from his suit, looking over at James' exasperated face.

"Never got any calls from you. Must be a glitch with JARVIS," the genius explained offhandedly.

"Sir, if I do recall correctly, your exact instructions were to 'block any phone calls and messages...unless it's an emergency—and I mean a code-red kind of emergency'." The men blinked as Tony's recorded voice played through the silence, James then shooting a glare at his best friend—who scowled and cursed his A.I. under his breath; had JARVIS always been so conniving?

"...Like I said, a glitch with JARVIS." James merely scoffed.

"So."

"So?" Tony gave his companion a raised-brow stare, the colonel narrowing his own eyes before he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are we not addressing what happened last night?" That made the Avenger want to cringe.

They had all been out at a dive bar—Tony, Silver, Thor, Natasha and James. While Bruce was back in Harlem for the night and Steve and Clint were on a mission together, the other Avengers had found themselves with free time and each other's company. And so, Thor had suggested they go and enjoy the night out. He had returned from visiting Jane and wanted to catch up with his comrades. It had been easy to get Tony on board with the idea. But then, there was Natasha, who had decided to play hard-to-get for the entertainment of seeing Tony's patience fluctuate, and then Silver.

Silver hadn't gone out much since her return from Stane. An opportunity to go back out hadn't quite appeared to her until that moment. And so, although she had agreed with ease to Thor's idea—Tony's enthusiasm being more of a reason than anything else—the apprehension that she was feeling wouldn't seem to disappear. She couldn't quite describe the reasoning clearly—the fuel behind the flames of anxiety she had. But by the time she was dressed and ready to go with everyone else, she couldn't think more on it.

The time out at the small and easy-going bar had been enjoyable. The light atmosphere made mingling in public easier for Silver. There was a friendliness in the air that the Avengers appreciated. They sat at the bar, everyone in some sort of clothing that kept them from being too recognizable; Tony remained as he was, just as he always did.

The bartender did well to keep them happy with shots and drinks, Tony being the ring-leader of the group. As the hours ticked on, others approached them, finally taking notice to who they were, but an agreement of silence to the media and public had been forged once the Avengers had agreed to spend time with them. Many challenged Thor to pool—who had no clue as to what the game was. Meanwhile, Natasha played as the DJ with the jukebox. She smirked and would give the music-player a quick bump with her hips, and as if the universe was reading her mind, a song she wanted would begin to fill the air. Silver's laughter sounded over the music as she and James tried to teach Thor how to hold the pool stick without breaking it entirely in half, and then there was Tony—who was sitting on the edge of the pool table and collecting bids as to who the winner of the matches would be.

Yes, surprisingly, it had been a danger free night.

Except for Tony and Silver.

It wasn't the kind of danger that anyone would expect. There were no explosions or blasts or villains trying to ruin them. No, it was a tall and lean brunette with curves to her body in all the right places. It was a young woman with her face perfectly contoured and her clothes exposing just the right amount of skin; the kind of danger that had set the course for the rest of the night.

Tony had a handful of bills in his grasp as he had JARVIS keep track of who had submitted what to his little poll. He hadn't been paying the random woman attention as she slowly saunter up to him. And Silver had been busy with Thor and James to take notice to the stranger with the devious gleam in her eyes. She was too busy laughing at the way Thor pretended to throw the pool stick as if it were a spear, James letting out a groan before he attempted to get the demi-god to focus; he had some money going on Thor.

"Hey, there." Her voice had been sweet and smooth like a long sip of whiskey, but Tony had merely let his eyes brush over her before he gave her a quick smile and held his free hand out to another gambler. Collecting the cash, the genius continued adding the money up, internally laughing when he realized that more people were betting against the god than for him. It wasn't until he felt a foreign hand brush against his shoulder and a body press against his side that he finally let his gaze wander from the fistfuls of money and to the stranger that was sitting beside him and leaning rather closely in to his personal space.

Strangely enough, although the man usually fed into the lust and worked rather happily off of it, in that moment, the former playboy found himself more irked than anything else; she was in the way of a young man that was trying to place his bet. He wasn't stupid—she was a beautiful, young woman. She was the kind of woman that Tony would entertain and charm until she was wrestling with him between the bed sheets until the late hours of the night. But there wasn't the normal urge to interact with her. In fact, he had no interest in her whatsoever. And of course, he knew why; having Silver was really all he needed or wanted.

Subtly, Tony had peeled himself away from the woman, giving her a flash of a smile and replying back to her with a joke before he tried to turn his concentration to the man tapping his shoulder with a fifty-dollar bill; he took it with a wide smirk. Although he had tried to disengage with the woman gently, his clues and actions were loud enough—the brunette approaching his side once more and running her hand up his arm and to his shoulder. It was then that he realized how stubborn she was. He couldn't quite blame her for her brave attempts, after all, he had been world renown for his antics and for his womanizing. However, as his eyes drifted over to Silver, he found himself getting more and more exasperated with the stranger.

"Is there something wrong?" the woman finally questioned with fiery impatience while Tony shrugged her hand away for the umpteenth time.

"Not exactly the words I would use. But sure, let's go with that." Silver's attention finally fell on the man, her green eyes watching him with the music playing over his words. She raised a brow out of curiosity as he spoke to a rather beautiful woman, who had her arms crossed over her chest and a frustrated expression on her face. The reels in her mind began to spin, and even though she was not a genius, herself, she was smart enough to piece together what was happening between the two; a sense of pride began to blossom within her.

The music began to fade while Natasha tried to find a different song to play, and as she searched, the chatter of the bar began to make the room buzz. Thor finally mastered the art of holding the pool stick, James letting out a relieved breath, and Silver merely smiled before her eyes wandered back over to Tony and the woman—their conversation a bit clearer with the music gone.

"I don't get it. I'm literally _throwing _myself at you."

"I guess we won't talk about the fact you're misusing the term 'literally'." Tony snarky remark made the woman narrow her eyes at him.

"Isn't this your thing? Sweeping wanting women off of their feet? Why not me?" With an exasperated sigh, Tony rubbed his temple—holding his free hand out and receiving the twenty dollars that was held out to him.

"I'm sure you and I would have a _great _time. And in normal circumstances I'd be sweeping you out of this bar and into my car right about now. But as it turns out, I'm not really interested in any of that." The woman frowned at Tony's statement, the man merely shrugging.

"I don't get it. Are you taken or something?" And there it was. There had been the blow of the night that had tipped the sliding scale. Because Tony had been caught off by the question. And although his mind had told him to answer as quickly as possible—whether it be with a "yes" or a joke or distraction—he couldn't seem to find the right thing to say at all. And the hesitation that he displayed had been caught by all of his friends; that was including Silver.

The woman had played it off well. Her eyes were penetrating right through Tony as he idly stood in front of the brunette with uncertainty etched on his face. And although she could feel her heart sink to the bottoms of her feet, Silver did a good job of remaining neutral and composed. She did a good job of completely ignoring Tony and turning back to Thor and watching while he awkwardly tended to the cue ball with James shooting Tony an irritated glare. Natasha merely turned a different tune on, drowning out the voices and noise and giving Tony a chance to separate himself from the brunette.

After that, the effortless atmosphere around everyone seemed to dissipate.

"Have you talked to Silver?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," Tony retorted back before he pressed enter on his holographic keyboard and finished the rest of the download to his suit. He avoided his friend's searing stare, busying himself with tidying his work station up—something he normally never did; he was finding any excuse to skip the conversation.

"How did that go?"

"It went a little something like a scene from a Shakespeare play—poetic and really just—"

"_Tony_." Said genius grimaced at the way his best friend gave him a knowing look, arms crossed over his chest and his left leg receiving most of the weight of his body from the way he stood.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me that you addressed last night with Silver. I want you to tell me that you didn't brush it off and pretend it wasn't a big deal." Because from the way the blonde had quickly headed off to her flat when they had all returned to the tower without even batting an eye lash to Tony was a gigantic sign that what happened _was _a big deal.

With a heavy breath, the genius sat back against the counter and covered his face with both hands. He rubbed his eyes for a second and then met James' gaze with a deflated expression on his face; that had been telling enough for the colonel.

"Tony—"

"Don't try and make it look like _I'm _the one that doesn't want to fix this." That had caught James off guard.

"_What_?" Letting out another frustrated breath, Tony glared at his best friend before he stood to his feet and began to pace; he was getting anxious again.

"I meant it when I said I talked to her." With a disgruntled expression, the genius crossed his arms and pouted like a child that had just been scolded by a parent. "I tried this morning." And tried, he had.

He hadn't slept a wink that night. He had attempted to get rest and wear off the buzz that lingered from the bar, but when he found himself staring aimlessly up at the ceiling after several hours, he knew that slumber would not greet him. And so, he got up and tried to keep himself busy in his lab; the only companion he had was JARVIS.

By the time the sun rose just an inch over the horizon, Tony had been tired of waiting. And so, restlessly, he made his way to the elevator and headed for Silver's floor. He didn't have much of a plan—but that wasn't something very new for the Avenger. So with his head held high and his fingers tapping lightly against his leg, he stepped off onto the woman's floor and headed straight for her kitchen.

When Silver's eyes fluttered open, she was sure that her flat was burning down. But when her vision cleared and her mind had straightened out, she quickly realized that it was merely the smell of extremely crisp pancakes and eggs that had shook her from sleep; she knew exactly who the cause was. She didn't waste any time to get up and throw on a sweater, slipping out of her room and quietly heading towards her kitchen. A smile threatened to stretch across her lips when her green eyes fell upon the struggling cook, the brunet cursing under his breath as he nearly dropped the pancake he had successfully made on to the floor.

"Did you sleep?" Tony wasn't surprised by Silver's sudden intrusion. He had been impatiently waiting for her to join him, so he was relieved when she spoke; that meant she wasn't too angry with him.

"Sleep's overrated." That made Silver scowl.

"Tony, you don't have to do this." The assistant let out a tired sigh, the thoughts that had been plaguing her from the night before already taunting her mind as she leaned against the kitchen island. "It's not like you did anything wrong." The man of topic stared intently at the woman for a moment, hesitantly shutting the stove off and turning his full attention to her.

"...Why do I feel like this is a trick?" Silver nearly laughed.

"You didn't seem very happy last night when we got back. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out," said genius pointed out, his companion letting out a huff while she turned her head to look out of the windows to her right.

"I had things on my mind."

"Because of what happened at the bar."

"Obviously."

"But you're not mad?"

"No."

"I'm confused."

"That's a first."

"Don't be sarcastic with me. Only I'm allowed to do that."

"Be sarcastic with yourself?"

"...We're getting off topic, Livingston."

Letting out a tired breath, Silver gave Tony a hesitant stare before she let her shoulder sag. "Ok, fine. I was annoyed." The man relaxed, somewhat relieved that the woman was being a bit more honest about the situation. "But I can't be mad at you."

"Can't believe I'm actually asking this, but why not?" Tony raised a brow at his companion, crossing his arms over his arc reactor and gazing at the woman with a pensiveness in his brown eyes. "Wouldn't blame you if you were."

"Because it's not like either of us have taken the time to actually establish what we are." Silver was irked that this was how the conversation was coming up, but somehow, she had no control over the circumstances anymore. And so, she decided to finally air out the old mattress and have the conversation she was sure they both had been purposefully putting off.

Grimacing, Tony uncrossed his arms and leaned forward against the kitchen counter. His hands clasped tightly to the edge of the island, keeping him from drowning in the current that was this moment. Although he knew that this was something that would need to be addressed, the genius had also hoped that things would eventually settle naturally without this conversation ever coming up. And yet, here they were now; he'd known all along that this would inevitably happen.

"I'm guessing this is the part where we take the time to actually establish what we are?" The blonde narrowed her eyes at Tony's offhanded comment, the man clearing his throat and attempting to steer the derailing train back on to the right track. "I didn't think we'd have to talk about it, Silver."

"Why?"

"Because I thought it was obvious—what, with the whole 'boy meets girl, girl gets kidnapped by boy's arch nemesis and boy saves girl from said arch nemesis' story-line we lived out." Silver scoffed, her eyes hardening with each passing second.

"Clearly, it wasn't obvious enough or else we wouldn't be in this stupid situation, would we?" He could tell she was becoming more and more testy, but he was also beginning to lose patience; all he wanted was to make up and continue on like they had been.

"So, what? You want me to make some grand gesture to prove how I feel about you?"

"No, that's not the point, Tony!" Silver snapped, her irritation blooming and Tony's exasperation with it.

Silence draped over the pair as they gazed at one another. Neither seemed willing to back down from the other, the tension growing as the seconds ticked by. Both seemed unable to let their pride go, but both were eager to move on and let things settle back to how they had been previously. And so, after a few more seconds, the woman finally let out a tired breath before she rubbed her face with both of her hands and finally stepped forward.

"...I told you that I loved you. I told you that you were it for me. And even though I know we're both on the same page, and I know that you feel the same way about me, you've never once said it back to me. You've implied it, but you've never said that you love me back." Tony blinked, his mind racing to figure out whether or not Silver's claim was accurate; it was. "I don't need a grand gesture. I don't need you to confess that you love me, because I know you. I know that's not how you do things, and I'm alright with that. I've never been the type to really need something big like that in the first place. So, it doesn't bother me that we haven't talked about us because I already know we're an 'us'." Silver watched as Tony somewhat relaxed. Her jaw clenched at the way he seemed to think the tension was easing, because in all truth, for her it wasn't.

"It's one thing to have no idea what to say to me about how you feel. I understand that. What I don't understand is how you didn't say a single thing to that woman last night. It was like you had no idea whether or not you wanted to tell her about me." Immediately, Tony was on the defense.

"Not fair or true."

"How is that not fair or true?"

"You think I didn't mention you to her because I didn't want to? You're right. I've never actually told you that I love you, I'll give you that. But like you _just_ said, you know it already. And I didn't think I'd need to say it because I thought my actions showed you how I feel about you pretty loudly and clearly. The only reason I didn't say anything last night was because I wasn't sure what you wanted."

"Oh, don't try and pin this back on me, Tony."

"Coming from you—who's trying to do exactly that to me?" With a scoff, Tony shook his head, his face visibly showing his frustration with the woman standing before him; she seemed to mirror his expression.

"If things had been reversed, and it had been me who was being questioned about whether or not I was taken, I wouldn't have just stood there like an idiot with nothing to say!" Silver barked bitterly. "I would've come up with _something_! Even if I wasn't sure if you were all-in for me to say something, I would've said that I was trying to figure things out with someone else! Anything except look clueless and unsure."

"I'm not unsure about how I feel about you, Silver!"

"I don't believe you!"

"After _everything_ we've been through, how do you not believe me? You think I begged you to stay with me when you wanted to quit or that I agonized for two months when Ezekiel took you because I didn't care about you?"

"Tony, you caring about me isn't what I'm worried about! I know you care about me. What I'm worried about is you wanting to _actually_ put a label on what we are to each other and tell people about it." The brunet glared at Silver, vexed with the fact she seemed to think so little of him. And yet, there was a tiny part of him that understood her concerns—for she made great points. However, the fact that a teeny part of him seemed to sympathize with Silver only bothered him more.

"What do you want me to do, then?" Silver stared at Tony with her brows furrowed inward and a deep frown across her lips. She stood silently in front of the man for several seconds before shaking her head in a defeated manner and turning to walk away.

"Nothing."

And since then, he had been in his lab.

"I'm honestly still not sure what the hell she's mad about." Letting out a flat and heavy sigh, James sat beside his best friend with a glass of whiskey, Tony having just finished off the last of his drink after telling him the event of that morning.

"...Don't shut down after I say this—"

"That usually means you're about to say something either ridiculously stupid or ridiculously wrong."

"—But you have to compromise with her a little, Tony." Giving his friend a bewildered stare, Tony slowly shook his head.

"Traitor."

"Seriously."

"Compromise on _what_? I don't see what I did that was so terrible or deserving of all of this." Sure, he could understand some irritation and arguing—he had been expecting that. But somehow, their conversation had escalated and now, here they were.

James sipped from his glass, leaning back against the futon that was set up in the genius' lab. He gazed aimlessly up at the ceiling, remembering the hurt gleam in Silver's eyes from the night before. "It's not about you doing something terrible. She's not mad at you because you made a dumb decision or because of your actions. She's just...It sounds like she's just scared." At that, Tony was quick to change his mode of thinking. James' words triggered his brain to shift in a way it couldn't before. And as Tony sat quietly, letting the neurons in his head light up, James remained quiet; sometimes, all his friend needed was a push in the right direction.

Setting his empty glass down, the man was standing up and heading towards the elevator. James smiled softly as he watched his friend with a sense of pride. A part of him was shocked to see how much growth Tony had made as a person. Imagining the self-centered man care about someone so deeply seemed impossible just a few years ago. Now, the colonel was seeing a man that could understand someone's feelings from just a whisper of a single word. Now, his friend was the kind of man who cared about more than just the world that circled around him and actually put time into figuring out how he could reconcile with someone versus toss them aside and take the easy way out.

Yes, he was quite proud.

* * *

She was tired.

She couldn't quite remember what she had been so upset about in the first place. But the feeling of despair and uncertainty still lingered inside of her as she pretended not to pout on her sofa. With a glass of vodka tonic in her hand, the young woman grumbled to herself while she flipped aimlessly through the channels. She stared at her television screen, her attention elsewhere but her eyes remaining glued to the scene from the soap opera.

"Silvia." Said woman nearly jumped out of her skin at the call of her name, her head turned so green eyes could catch the intruder from the elevator. She tried not to look put-off while Tony approached with a sense of purpose in each of his steps. There was a gleam in his eyes—a determined and steady gleam that made the woman uneasy; he was prepared to have a long discussion she was uninterested in having.

"I'm really not—"

"Too bad." Rolling her eyes at the way her boss skimmed over her refusal, the blonde crossed her arms over her chest and watched as he took a seat in the one-seater couch adjacent to the three-cushioned sofa. Leaning forward in his seat, the man propped his arms against his thighs and clasped his hands together, holding his head up and letting his gaze pierce through Silver's. The scowl on her face was enough for Tony to see that she wasn't ready to address their argument, but he was no longer the type of person who let things sit and simmer; he wanted to make this work.

"Talk to me, Silvia." Tony watched as the woman gazed helplessly at him, unsure whether or not she wanted to speak or turn away. He could tell from the way her fingers twitched and the way her jaw clenched shut that she was on the cusp of running. He couldn't blame her. Knowing her as well as he did—knowing _himself_ as well as he did, he understood the fear she was trying to fight. He understood what she was going through. "...I get it. I know where you're coming from, but you've gotta talk to me."

With an exasperated breath, Silver shut her eyes and rubbed her temples. She could feel a migraine creeping up on her, but she did her best to fend it off and try her hardest to remain engaged with the discussion. She was amazed at the utter calmness that was exuding from Tony in such a stressful situation; she was going to try as hard as he seemed to be.

"...My parents were really happy in the beginning." Silver swallowed the lump in her throat, surprised that she was feeling as vulnerable and weak as she was. It was foreign, and she truly hated it. But she knew that this was what it took. Being with someone meant trusting them and breaking down walls separating yourself from everyone else, and although she had never had to do it before, she could see that Tony was making the effort to be present—more so than he'd ever tried with anything else he'd done before. And so, she wanted to respect that and respect him. "I used to look through pictures of them when I was younger, and they looked really in love and really committed and really dedicated to making things work." Clearing her throat, Silver tried to quell the anxiety that was beginning to pool up inside of her.

"I look back now, and I sometimes can't understand how two people that seemed to be so ready to be together could end up the way they did...so I can't help myself when I think about us and wonder about whether or not you want to actually try and be an 'us'." Shaking his head Tony made sure that Silver was matching his stare, a solemn expression over his entire face.

"I say a lot of things, whether I mean it or not—that's up in the air. But I'm telling you right now, we will _never_ end up like that." Immediately, Silver averted her eyes to the floor with an unconvinced shake of her head.

"You can't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"Tony, you couldn't even figure out how you wanted to address us to someone. How the hell do you expect to know that we won't—"

"Silver. You know how I feel. And as much as I feel like saying it to you right now, I don't want you to think I'm saying it just to say it. So, I'm holding off. But you know exactly how I feel. Me not knowing what to say yesterday had nothing to do with me not knowing what I want." Silver gave Tony a narrow-eyed look of suspicion, the man frowning at her disbelief. "I've never been good at just saying how I feel. Not when it comes to relationships that matter to me. You know that just as much as I do." Silver relaxed, nodding her head. "And it doesn't have anything to do with me not knowing what I want or me being unsure of whether or not I want to be with you. I'm just...I'm a hot mess." He was much better than years before, but he was a work in progress, and he could admit that.

"You don't have to believe me. God knows you're too damn stubborn to convince otherwise. The best I can do is just show you. Every day, I'm going to show you, alright?" His words moved her. She wasn't sure when Tony had become so brave. He was different than the person who used to avoid emotional confrontation and from the person who would drink away his sorrows and lock himself away from everyone and everything.

Little did she know, Tony truly thanked her for changing him.

"...You don't ever wonder about me?" Raising a brow out of puzzlement, the Avenger blinked, caught off guard from her abrupt question.

"Wonder about what?"

"Whether or not I'll ever let you down?" Tony let out a short huff of a laugh, leaning back in his seat and feeling a bit more relieved at that moment; there was a lightness returning to the conversation.

"You spent two months with Ezekiel Stane. Hell, you spent a little over a year dealing with _me_. I will never ever have doubts about you." And in that moment, Silver had been sold.

With every ounce of cautiousness in her movement, the blonde stood up and approached Tony. She shared similarities to a fawn stepping into an empty meadow—alert yet content. Without asking, the woman slid on to Tony's lap and curled up against him. A relieved breath slipped from his lips, his eyes shutting while he enjoyed the warmth from her embrace. Her head was lain against his shoulder with her hand softly against his arc reactor, and as Tony kept his arms wrapped around Silver, her eyes became entranced with the glow of life beaming between her fingers.

"...Thanks."

"No need to thank me, Porcelain." A smile finally spread across her face.

* * *

_Hey guys! It's been awhile since my last post, sorry about that! I've been in a little hiatus with writing, but with the climate of things as of late, I have had a lot more time on my hands to write and get some personal things done! I'm hoping to update and post more soon. Not sure how long things are going to last like this, but from the looks and sounds of it, we may be given more time at home. So, with that, I'm trying to remain positive and find the silver-lining in all of this. _

_Please, not to try and preach, but practice cleanliness. Be thoughtful of others and respectful of others. Whether or not you, specifically, are concerned about the Coronavirus is not the point. There are many people who are dealing with this situation on a personal level in some way. So be mindful of that! And anyways, we should all want to protect others and ourselves. _

_Thanks for sticking with this story and with Tony and Silver! Hopefully I'll see you guys with another update soon!_


End file.
